Sunday, July 6, 2014

Why Hobby Lobby Decision Is Bad for Religious Groups



Modern contraceptives have been an unmitigated success in just about all of its intended uses, whether simply to prevent unwanted pregnancies or help in a variety of female conditions. It has also lowered the rate of abortions that occur as a result of unwanted pregnancies, and only an idiot would claim that it hasn't greatly helped in lowering teen pregnancies. States, like Texas, that teach exclusively that abstinence is the preferred method of birth control have higher teen pregnancy rates than states that teach that birth control is a successful method.

So with the Hobby Lobby decision, we have a Supreme Court -- need I remind you it was only five Catholic men (aka the Five Dicks) that voted in favor of a religious exemption? -- that has sided with the Christian conservative cause, effectively making access to birth control more difficult and expensive for most groups of women, including minorities and the young.

So why is this decision bad for religious groups in general? Simple: It's stupid. And it's based on religious beliefs. Case closed. Religion is stupid.

First, understand that almost all groups in America favor the use of birth control and believe it's good that it's provided free under the ACA. Read the stats here at the Public Religion Research Institute. Note that only among white evangelical Protestants do we find minority support, at  40%. Still, that's 40% of evangelicals in favor!

Conservatives lose while winning when they celebrate a position that most Americans disagree with. Eventually, the conclusion that will be drawn is that conservatives, yet again, insist that their ideas are antiquated, or outright stupid.

When enough women and men are negatively affected by this decision, the chickens will begin to come home to roost. And when the Supreme Court shows how broad their "narrow" decision actually is, in later Supreme Court rulings, the stupidity of the decision will sink in further.

How many bad policies do conservatives have to chase before the public, especially the new generation of voters, finally catch on and label conservatives and their Republican Party as stupid?

Go ahead, conservatives, piss off millennials. But prepare to live with this reality.



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